Extensible article support



Jan. 26, 1954 R G MASON 2,667,323

EXTENSIBLE ARTICLE SUPPORT Filed Dec. ll, 1951 I 2 Sheets-Sheet l MQWJan. 26, 1954 R. G. MASON 2,667,323 EXTENSIBLE ARTrcLE; SUPPORTFiled'DeC. ll, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l ma s Il /5' l In V 1| m fa I lllln lll 'l :lul 54 /5 "I x I J2e ^-52 L ,m

:il f '5 45 44 /25 43 37 l 37 l 42 33 3? r 35 Z /e V g j 3f 5157.7 A J0IN VEN TOR. ,Qa/ AND GMHso/v Patented Jan. 26, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE Roland G. Mason, Seattle, Wash. Application December 11, 1951,Serial N o. 261,009

4 Claims.

This invention relates to extendable and retractable supporting meansfor various kinds and types of articles. More particularly, theinvention has reference to a flexible support whereby an article such asan ash tray, serving tray, mirror, lamp or sunshade, may be adjusted toandy held at various positions of use, and which provides for themovement of the support and supported article to a housed position, orplace out of the way when not in use.

It is the principal object of the present invention to Aprovide novelmeans of the above stated character that is characterized by the use ofa universally bendable cable as the supporting means and a containingand supporting housing onto and from which the cable can be adjusted.Furthermore to provide the cable, at its outer end, with means for theattachment thereto and the functional support of various articles of thecharacter of those above -mentioned, and whereby the articles can beheld in various positions of use or adjustment by reason of theiiexibility or bendability of the cable.

It is a further object of my invention to provide an article supportingmeans vof the above stated character wherein the ilexible or bendablecable has suicient rigidityto sustain the supported article at a setposition under normal usage yet is easily manually bendable to effectany desired positioning of the supported article within the limits ofadjustment and extension of the cable.

Other objects of the invention reside in the provision of a means on thecable that is adapted to coact with guiding means on the cable housingfor holding the cable against rotation, and to provide novel frictionmeans for retaining the cable at any set position of extension orretraction.

Still further objects of the invention reside in the details ofconstruction of the various parts of the device in its various forms ormodifications, and in the combination of parts and the mode of use ofthe device as will hereinafter be fully described.

In accomplishhing the above mentioned and other objects of theinvention, I have provided the improved details of construction, thepreferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein- Fig. l is a perspective View illustrating what might be theback portionof a seat of an automobile, or a railway coach seat, or thelike, that is equipped with article supporting means embodied by thepresent invention. Y

`or flexing of the cable. In the Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional view ofthe back of the seat showing the cable holding and guiding tube orhousing, with the cable partly withdrawn therefrom and supporting an ashtray.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged,'cross-sectional view of the ash tray and themeans attaching it to and supporting it from the extendable cable.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken on the line 4 4 inFig. i

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, longitudinal section of the inner end portion ofthe cable and its housing, showing the friction means and guide stud atthe inner end of the cable. f f

Fig. 6 is a sectional view, similar to that of Fig. 5, illustrating analternative type of friction and guide means at the inner end of thecable.

Fig. 7 is a side view of a lamp support and guide as applied to a table;this being a modi'- iication of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a side View of the reel housingas used in the device of Fig.7; parts being broken away for better showing of the reel.

Fig. 9 is a cross-section of the reel housing, taken on line 9-9 in Fig.8. v

Since it is not the desire that use of thepresent invention berestricted to specific places or articles, I have illustrated what I nowconsider to be some of its most probable adaptations. Primarily theinvention is based upon use of a supporting cable of a form ofconstruction that permits it to be bent or curved in various directionsso that an article as supported thereby may be located in the mostdesirable position of use. Such a cable is sometimes referred to asgooseneck and it is generally lformed by the spiral winding of a metalstrip to form a semi-rigid tube wherein the convolutions .of the stripare close iitted and may be somewhat interlocked in a manner to retaintheir close relationship but without preventing the bending followingdescription the term cable will bevused to designate this particulartype of tubular member, which is characterized by the fact that it isuniversally bendable without kinking, attening, or in any way changingits cross-sectional shape or length, and has suiicient rigidity to serveits intended functions as an article support, but can be easily manuallybent to a desired for Referring more in detail to the drawing- In Figs.1 and 2, I have illustrated one of the typical and common uses to whichthe present invention can be put. In these views, l0 designates what maybe the back portion of an automobile seat and l2 designates anrashtrayof vention and which is adapted to be housed with-` in a guide tube I6,which is well shown in Fig. 2, is xedly secured in the seat structure inany suitable position, and at one end opens through theback wall I3 ofthe housing I3, and is xed V'thereto as indicated at I'I in Fig. 3,substantially perpendicularly from the back wall.

It is shown in Fig. 2 that the tube I5 is curve downwardly from thehousing I3 to extend within the central portion of the seat backstructure. However, if desired, the guide tube I6 could be Otherwisedirected. For example it might be spirally formed, as is the tube Is inFig. 10, or could be made straight, as is tube I in Figi. 11,

or it might be given other forms, depending upon Y the structure orobject `with which the invention is to be associated. Y i

The guide tube I5, in any of its forms, is of vsuiliciently greaterdiameter than the cable I 5 that the latter can be easily moved endwisetherein. But it is desirable that friction means be fixed to the cable,at its innerend and-that other friction means be'applied to the tube atits outer end, for `the purpose of yieldingly holding the cable againstfree `or easy movement from any position to which it has been manuallyadjusted.

As seen in Fig. 3, the friction means applied p within the outer end ofthe guide tube comprises two leaf springs I8 and I8', disposed atdiametrically opposite sides of the cable, and extending lengthwisethereof with outer ends secured to the ywall of tube I6, as at I9, andinwardly bowed bey tween their ends to frictionally engage the cable.These springs retain the cable centered in that portion of the tube I6and also supplement the friction means at the inner end of the cable inholding the cable at a set position of endwise adjustment in the tube.

' The friction means applied to the inner end of the cable I5, as shownin Fig. 3, comprises a yclip 24 that is tted in the inner end of thecable and which is formed with an extended spring finger 24.11: thatbears frictionally against a side of tube I6.

In order that the cable I5 may not rotate in the guide tube I5, a stud25 is mounted rigidly thereon at its inner end to extend radiallytherefrom. This stud is contained in and is adapted to. move within aslot 26, formed lengthwise of the tube I6, and extending therealong toan extent that will ,permitY adjusting of the cable I5 to the extentdesired. i

As a means for the convenient mounting of the ash tray I2 on the -outerend of the cable I5, I have rigidly secured a tubular extension member28 to the-outer end of thecable, as shown in Fig. 3. Theouter end of-this extension member `28 is adapted to be fitted in a tubular socketthat is xedto the inner face of the'front wall membrought to the lampthrough the tubular cable I5. Control of the cir-cuit is by use of asuitable switch not herein shown.

When the ash tray I2 is drawn out to an extended position, as in Fig. 1or 2, light from the lamp 33 will be directed'downwardly through anopening 3l in the lower side of the ash tray housing. If it is desired,for better use of the lamp, the ash tray I2 may be disconnected andremoved from the cable by unseating the piece 28 from the socket 35 ofthe tray.

In Fig. V5, I have illustrated an alternative means for applying a cableholding friction means and vfor adjusting the holding tension of thefriction means. In this structure, leaf springs 38-33 are applied to theopposite sides of the cable, lengthwise thereof, and with upper ends xedto the cable as at 39. The lower ends of the vsprings seat against a nutIl that is threaded onto the end portion ofthe cable and this nut can beadjusted to cause the springs to be bowed outwardly .and pressed more orless tightly against the walls of the guide tube I 6.

In Fig. 5 I have Valso shown the manner of ceiling the circuit wire 35in the tubular cable I5 in order to give sufficient lengthof wire forthe Y full extension of the cable I5 from the housing IB.

When the cable is pushed back from an extended position to its innerposition, the circuit wire k35 automatically assumes ,its pre-formed,spirally coiled formation.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated yet another friction `means for the cableI5; this being at'the inner end of the cable and associated with theguide stud 25:13. In this view, 4,2 designates acollar that Vis`contained in tube I6 and fitted and securedto the cable I5, and Vtowhich collar the guide stud 25x ,is fixed. The stud extends through andbeyond the slot 26 of tube I6; Applied about the outer end portion ofthe `stud is a coiled spring 53 and this is held under compression by anut 5l! that is threaded onto the stud. At its inner end the springbears against a friction plate that seats against the Wall of tube I6.Any desired holding friction is obtained by an adjustment of the nut 44to increase or decrease the pressure of spring 43. Y

I have, in Fig. 7, shown the present invention applied to a table 43. Inthat embodiment of the invention, the cable I5 is contained for endwiseadjustment in a vertical-tube 5B that is xed to the table. The cableextends from the upper end of the tube, and-,at its outer end supports aVcommon form of reading lamp 5I. At its inner end, the tube opensinto areel housing 52 as seen in Fig. 8, in which housing a reel 53 isrotatably'mounted o n an axis 54. Insulated circuit wires 55 extend totheV lamp through the cable YI5 and are wound on the reel 53 which canbe placed under spring tension for automatic rewinding when the cable I5is retracted into the tube 50.

Various other adaptations of the invention include its applicationto ahospital bed for holding a lamp or tray; a support for a microphone forradio broadcasting, `or `as a holder for a baby nursing bottle. My`invention is believed to encompass and be practical inmany applicationsor uses and is lnot to be understood as limited to the applications oruses specifically described or disclosed herein.

Having thus described `my invention, what I comprising a tubular guidehousing adapted for fixed mounting on a supporting structure, yauniversally bendable cable received Within said tubular guide housingand extensible therefrom, means at the .outer end of said cable forsupporting a selected article, the extended portion of said cable beingbendable to either side of the guide housing, means preventing rotationof said cable relative to the guide housing, and means frictionallyretaining the cable in selected positions of extended adjustment, saidlast recited means including at least one spring one end of which abutsthe guide housing and the other end of which is movable, and means foryadjusting the positioning of the movable end of the spring to adjustits frictional engagement with the surface of the guide housing.

2. A retractable and extendable lamp support according to claim 1wherein said means preventing rotation of the cable relative to theguide housing includes a pin extending outwardly from the cable andengaged in a longitudinally elongated slot formation, and said frictionmeans further includes a friction plate abutting said guide housing atthe slot formation and slidable with said pin, and said spring of thefriction means is -coiled about the pin with said one end abutting saidfriction plate, and said means for adjusting the positioning of themovable end of the spring includes a nut threadably engaged on the outerend of said pin.

3. A retractable and extendable lamp support comprising a tubular guidehousing adapted for fixed mounting on a supporting structure, auniversally bendable cable received within said tubular guide housingand extensible from the outer open end thereof, means at the outer endof said cable for supporting a selected article, the extended portion ofsaid cable being bendable to either side of the guide housing, meanspreventing rotation of said cable relative to the guide housing,friction means on the inner end of said cable frictionally retaining thecable in selected positions of extended adjustment, and means inwardlyof the open end of said housing maintaining the cable concentricallythereof.

4. A retractable and extendable lamp support laccording to claim 3wherein said last recited means includes a pair of spring elementsinterposed between the cable and the portion of the housing adjacent theopen end thereof, and said friction means including a single springcarried by the inner end of said cable and resiliently engaging theinside surface of said housing.

ROLAND G. MASON.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,772,980 Bennett Aug. 12, 1930 2,115,898 Zagora May 3, 19382,150,222 Hoffman Mar. 14, 1939 2,481,271 Willey Sept. 6, 1942:-

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 344,938 Italy Dec. 2, 1936 577,721Germany June 3, 1933

